Reinforcements coming to Maple Creek RCMP detachment

For months, Sgt. John Phipps and constables Marc Antoine-Huard and Tyler Lane have been holding the fort at Maple Creek RCMP detachment.
Now reinforcements – including a new corporal, Mike Chiarot, from the Morse detachment – are coming soon.
By the end of September, the detachment should have six members, one short of full strength.
Sgt. Phipps, the detachment commander, gave an update on RCMP staffing at the July 26 Town Council meeting.
In response to a question about staffing from Councillor Betty Abbott, Sgt. Phipps said he only had two constables.
“So, there are three of us at the moment out of seven,” he said. “We are sitting at a 58 per cent vacancy rate.”
Sgt. Phipps said the detachment would be getting a cadet out of depot at the end of the week.
However, cadets don’t count on the schedule for the first two months since they are effectively “joined at the hip” with their trainers, said Sgt. Phipps; they can’t go anywhere on their own, they can’t answer calls, and they can’t be on call outside their working hours.
Sgt. Phipps said a new corporal would be coming out of Morse at the end of August.
It is a permanent position, into which he has been promoted.
“He and his family have bought a house already,” he said.
In addition, a member would be coming out of Wilkie at the end of September.
“So, by September, if all goes according to plan we will be back to six out of seven,” said Sgt. Phipps.
The RCMP detachment has been left short-staffed after the departure of three officers in the spring: Constables Anaztazia Inkster, Adam Euloth and Const. Adam Helgeson. Corporal Doug Lachapelle, who has relocated to Moose Jaw, left in October, 2021.
At last week’s Council meeting, Sgt. Phipps delivered the first quarterly report for the fiscal year: April 2022-June 2022
There were 163 reported or committed occurrences, which is right in line with the last several years, he said. In the previous quarter, numbers had been unusually low.
“That may have been an anomaly. We are back to par again.”
Sgt. Phipps said there were no concerning trends.
The April-June statistics for offences reported and/or committed in the community were:
•CRIMINAL CODE:
Sexual assaults/interference: Nil; Assaults (Spousal/other): 5; wilful damage/vandalism: 13; Break and enter: 3; Thefts: 3; Impaired driving/Over 0.08 per cent: 4; Disturbing the peace: 3; Fail to comply with conditions: 12; Other Criminal Code offences: 8;
•DRUGS:
Possession of drugs: 1; Trafficking: Nil
LIQUOR:
Liquor offences/driving suspensions: 4; Other: 3;
TRAFFIC:
Accidents: 8; Complaints/Charges laid: 21;
ASSISTANCE/SERVICES
Request to locate/missing person: 9; Sudden deaths: 1; Assist general public/other agency: 19; By-laws: 4; Other (False alarms, 911 calls, Mental Health Act, fires, family relations etc.): 42;
Total occurrences: 163
Councillor Tina Cresswell asked whether the RCMP were called out to the park.
Sgt. Phipps said the detachment did not get many calls.
Usually, the RCMP gets called for criminal offences because conservation officers don’t handle them.

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